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CAIE A-Level Business AS 1.3 Size of Business Questions

Practise measuring business size, judging small-business significance and evaluating growth routes from case-study evidence.

Syllabus
2026–2028
Course
Business 9609
Level
AS

Exam points

  • analyse benefits or drawbacks of small size, including family-business strengths or weaknesses
  • evaluate internal growth, mergers, takeovers or joint ventures against business objectives

Covered syllabus points

1.3.1—Measurements of business size1.3.2—Significance of small businesses1.3.3—Business growth

Question 1

[Maximum number: 3]

Explain one way to measure the size of GT.

Question 2

[Maximum number: 12]

Cobblestone Shoes (CS)

Yazeem is a highly skilled shoemaker. He opened CS in 1975, as a sole trader, to design and repair shoes. When Yazeem set up CS the main target market was professional people who wanted shoes to wear to work or to dress smartly. He produced the shoes using batch production and sold them in his own shop. Each design of shoe was made in a range of sizes and colours.

Abir has suggested that CS should adopt a just in time (JIT) approach to inventory management. By using JIT, she argues, CS would be able to increase its working capital and avoid having money tied up in inventory that might not be used or sold. CS currently has a large number of shoes on display in the shop. There is also a large amount of their
Recently there has a been an increase in low-priced shoes produced for the mass market, which has reduced Yazeem's sales of new shoes. It has also reduced the demand for shoe repairs.

Yazeem's daughter, Abir, is keen to take over the running of CS. She has been fully trained in making shoes and feels that it is time for Yazeem to retire.

Abir thinks that the business should be targeting niche markets. She would like to design and produce unique shoes and use price skimming to increase the profitability of the business.

Abir is also concerned about the contribution made on each batch of shoes. Table 2.1 shows some break-even data for a recent batch of shoes.

Table 2.1 Break-even data about a recent batch of shoes

Table 2.1 Break-even data about a recent batch of shoes

main raw material, which is leather and must be kept in a climate-controlled storage area.

Abir has already found a new local supplier which is happy to deliver inventory as required.

Evaluate the importance to CS of being a small business.

Question 3

[Maximum number: 5]

Question (a)

(a)

Define the term takeover.

[ 2 ]

Question (b)

(b)

Explain one disadvantage to a business of external growth.

[ 3 ]
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